Salvaged
by BullardCR
Summary: Just an idea up for review. Your input will determine if this continues.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

**Chapter I:**

Hikari had not noticed him before, not until the battle with what was termed the Fourteenth Angel. She could never understand how she ignored him before then. Not that he noticed her, of course. He didn't even realize, much like Toji, her subtle hints. Not that it was easy for either of the Children, mind you. They were in a situation that did not allow for the reception of such subtle hints. They were in a position that required firm decisions and frank discussion.

Hikari was not yet at that point.

She stood at the wreckage of the city, and the deep chasm which penetrated the city's inner defenses, revealing the labyrinth below. The damage was impressive, as she noticed the several layers, each as thick as a city block was long, easily penetrated by the enemy's attack. To think something man created could defend against this, she considered, made her skin crawl. The concept that two cities of her homeland fell to a weapon invented to end all wars, only to proliferate in a mass game of Russian Roulette still set her on edge. But this, she considered, this required a strength she could never have. Enduring this would be impossible for someone like her.

Yet Toji and Shinji both endured it, and far worse, they endured trying to kill each other.

She did not yet know the specifics. Even being around Suzahara was a security breach in itself. The city stank with this horrid, inhuman flavor that would pit two friends against each other. There was no reward, no great honor or achievement for Shinji. There was no consolation for Toji's loss. Simply put, it was a battle that was erased from history, with no prize, and only penalties for playing.

She hated everything this city represented, but went along with this illusion of mankind's great achievements for the longest time. It was only after these last two battles that everything became so clear. None of humanity's achievements or virtues were represented here. There were only scars, and the frantic attempts for man to defend themselves against a threat they knew nothing of. Funny, she thought. After ten thousand years, and all of our great accomplishments, we were still afraid of the dark.

It had been a month, and over that time, all she wanted was to talk to Shinji. There was something so unsettling about this desire, but as minute by minute passed, her resolution became stronger. Or was it as the battle for Toji to lead a normal life was lost? She could not tell, as the two were intertwined.

Thankfully Aida was still there. While not the most honest or popular of the boys in class, he knew both of the victims. He served as Hikari's sounding board, regardless of the hour of night. His nocturnal habits made contact via instant messaging or phone only a few buttons away. Mostly, though, she found he served more as a reassuring voice, as her mother once did. "One day at a time," he would often tell her at the end of their late night phone calls. "I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow."

Asuka's change in behavior had also made the situation just one more degree difficult. The Second Child began to cling to her as though her survival depended on the attention of the brunette. It was just the same as how her own survival depended on Kensuke reassuring her the war would be over, or Shinji would return to provide some form of stable footing. Without the boy, Asuka, Toji, and practically the entire world didn't seem to make sense. It was during this time Horaki discovered the boy's role. He was a control group, or a standard to which the value of mankind was judged. The new students, particularly the polite, meek ones, usually were.

It was the end of the day when she first saw him. Squinting, Hikari tried to catch another look. After so long, she thought it was simply another transfer student who looked the same. They all seemed to look the same lately, either coming or going with the escalation of the war. But no, the class representative realized. This was the genuine item. This was Ikari.

"Sh... Shinji?" Hikari asked as she sped her pace along the courtyard of the junior high school. Ikari glanced up at her, but broke eye contact once he recognized the girl. He was in no mood to speak to her. "Shinji?" Horaki asked again, pressing both the recognition of his name and her existence. She found herself moving at an uncomfortable stride, realizing a jog or a full out sprint was better suited to cover the distance. Yet, she did not allow her feet to keep up. She had already given away too much, a collection of girls from her class staring at the two of them. They already suspected something.

How Shinji chose his words, he could never quite grasp. A simple "hello" would have been far better, he thought. "I... already talked to Suzahara," he blurted out, staring at his feet, body frozen. Hikari instantly turned to stone, mimicking the Child. Her mind replayed his first words in a month over and over again, making sure she did not misinterpret what he said. "I-I..." the boy stammered. "I... should leave."

"Shinji..." Hikari started. But the boy was slipping away, moving past her to the school building she never wanted to see again, to faces and places that stabbed at her brain mercilessly. "Shinji!" she repeated. Suddenly, she found herself walking to the boy's left, keeping pace as he tried to outrun her.

Horaki's hand reached out, taking Ikari's as he tried shoving her away. The stinging discomfort of close proximity amplified for a millisecond, but was gone soon after. It amused her for a moment, the boy shocked, stumbling for a moment as he tried to find his footing. While she had a little more grace, the tingling sensation moving up her hand to her shoulder did not help her motor skills.

Shinji could not say anything for the longest time, but finally blurted out, "Why?"

"I... we... uh," Hikari stuttered, her mind turning to gelatin. "We need... to talk..." She heard the sound of snickering only a few meters away. That was when the girls from before, huddled together in their tight-knit group, started babbling wild rumors invented on the spot. "Can we... go somewhere?" she pursued.

Shinji Ikari nodded. In all his life, no other gesture he had given was never as confident. There was something so unsettling about the dark circles under the girl's eyes, along with her actions. Then again, there were several things not right about his own recent experiences. He could not place where this idea came from, but somehow, talking to someone who had a level head when it came to what he did was just what he needed. With her, there would be no gushing over a giant killer robot with guns, no talks about being a brave, strong warrior, or belittling of his manhood. With her, he could expect some mocking as a subordinate, but he could also expect a firm, educated response to problems he needed help resolving.

It was highly likely she needed someone level-headed to talk to as well.

They found themselves tucked away in their classroom, taking two desks next to each other at random. Everyone was gone, their computers shut down for the evening. There was no imposition for taking an assigned seat. They looked at each other for hours on end. The sun was already beginning to set, and the doors to the school building locked when the first words finally came.

"I... I'm so tired," Shinji breathed. "I don't want to fight anymore."

Hikari nodded, annoyed that a sarcastic grin crossed her face as the tears welled up in her eyes. Of all the things the boy had to say, he had to say _that_. As he went on about what happened to him, where he was all this time, and the things he did, the brunette's stomach churned. The worst part was that he seemed so calm about it. How could he so easily express his absolute disgust and dread for what he was expected to do with a dead pan expression? It was like someone reciting their own death sentence in a disinterested monotone.

As he paused, unsure of what to say next, Hikari had to interject before she completely lost it. "Shin-ji... I," she blubbered. Closing her eyes for a moment, her face again gave that disgusting wry smile, all while her hands found his, gripping at his fingertips with a fierce desire never to let go. "Nothing makes sense!" she finally blurted out. "I... I can't stand it here!" She began to cry, but still went on with her rant. "It hurts! Everyone I knew... everything I remembered... it's just gone.. It's all being wiped away..."

Shinji was no longer in his blank, dead pan state. A tear or two slipped past his eyes, and his fingers instinctively clenched her hands in return. He never liked seeing people hurt, and the fact he had taken something so precious away from her made it worse. His discussion with Toji cleared up the social goings-on which the two of them should have realized from the start. Now the Child wished he never had that conversation, or even saw his former friend. It would have made everything that happened all the more easier.

The pair of lost students locked in the building for the night huddled into a corner, each leaning into the other's shoulder. There was very little time, each realized. The world, at the rate it was going, could have been destroyed the next day. The war had finally taught them how precious every second of their lives were. They would sleep later on, but for the time being, they needed to talk. Secrets, ideas, beliefs, and emotions all needed to come out, since each realized the only person who would understand them was sitting right at their side.

"Shinji?" Hikari asked as the clock read fifteen minutes past two.

"Yes, Hikari?" the boy replied.

"Just... stay..." she sighed, her eyes closing.

Shinji nodded sleepily, and rest his head against hers. "...Okay."

**End of Chapter I**

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Comments/questions, please leave a review.

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	2. Chapter 2

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion, or any of the characters, equipment, or locations written in this fanfiction. The purpose of this fanfiction is merely for the non-profit enjoyment of other readers. If requested by Gainax, Hideki Anno, or other parties which represent aforementioned objects in this story, I will remove it promptly.

**Chapter II:**

_The pair of lost students locked in the building for the night huddled into a corner, each leaning into the other's shoulder. There was very little time, each realized. The world, at the rate it was going, could have been destroyed the next day. The war had finally taught them how precious every second of their lives were. They would sleep later on, but for the time being, they needed to talk. Secrets, ideas, beliefs, and emotions all needed to come out, since each realized the only person who would understand them was sitting right at their side._

_"Shinji?" Hikari asked as the clock read fifteen minutes past two._

_"Yes, Hikari?" the boy replied._

_"Just... stay..." she sighed, her eyes closing._

_Shinji nodded sleepily, and rest his head against hers. "...Okay."_

Kensuke Aida was the first to discover them. He had been concerned when Mr. Horaki told him his daughter had not returned home. At another time, like he had done over the last month, the man would have told Aida to never call his daughter that late again. But early that morning was different. Kensuke had information he could never hope to hear from his daughter directly.

That was why the otaku was at school early, as much as he dreaded the thought. He had to know for certain, and the other Horaki sisters were desperate to know where Hikari had gone. It was strange, the boy thought, how they relied on him over this last month. Now, perhaps he would no longer be seen as this undesirable character, but more closely tied to the family.

Quickly using the contacts list on his cellphone, Aida placed the call. "Mr. Horaki?" he asked. "Yes, I found her." As the couple snuggling on the floor stirred, Aida lowered his voice to a whisper. "She's been at school all night," Aida continued. "No, she can't talk now. She's asleep. Yes, she was here with someone very trustworthy. Who? It's... an old friend."

Mr. Horaki sighed, trying to rub the forehead creases out with his fingertips. The stress could finally dissipate, but only if he allowed it. "Alright, when she's awake, tell her to call me immediately," the man grumbled. "Thank you again, Kensuke." As he hung up the phone and returned to his desktop computer in the tidy cubicle, he let out a sigh. "Perhaps... she's found what she's looking for."

Kensuke returned to the problem of the sleeping pair, glancing back at the clock. It was about fifteen minutes before classes began. Perhaps they could avoid a scene, assuming no other students would arrive until-

"What is a stooge like you doing here at this-" Asuka started. When she studied the room cautiously, though, she noticed two classmates sitting on the floor. For a moment, she thought the controversy would be something to use against them. That is, she thought it would be until she noticed who they were. "HIKARI AND _HIM?"_ she screamed.

The chance for sweeping this under the rug had failed, Aida thought.

Hikari sighed, masking her face in her right hand as she stroked the stress wrinkles from her forehead. She was starting to mimic her father, by proximity or heredity, she yet did not know. For a moment, it made her laugh, but then she came back to the matter at hand. She bowed slightly as Aida handed her his cellphone. The phone rang twice, until the man on the other end answered. "Watanabe Semiconductor, this is Mr. Horaki speaking," Hikari's father answered.

"Father?" she asked politely. Why was she always so formal? Maybe it was just the situation at hand, Kensuke, Asuka, and now Rei surrounding her. When did Ayanami show any interest in her? No, she corrected. The albino was interested in Shinji, and that was what annoyed her. "Y-yes, I'm okay," she half stated, half yawned. "I just had a lot of work to do-"

"Hikari," her father muttered. "You do realize, just like your father, you are a bad liar."

The class representative wiped at her eyes. "D-Dad," she answered honestly. "I can't stand it here anymore." She could hear him on the opposite end of the conversation, taking a deep breath. She knew he would say no. He would protest, stating how important this job was for him. More importantly, he would say how important this job he and her mother worked together on was, how it was their destiny to see it through to the end.

"Hikari," he began.

"Yes?" she asked, bracing herself for the predicted result.

"I'm getting us out of here," he answered simply, as though the task was nothing. "It's going to mean a pay cut, but the company has an opening at the Kyoto office. We could be out of Tokyo-3 in a matter of weeks." He took another breath. This wasn't like talking to Nozomi or Kodama. The youngest would be upset about losing her friends, as the eldest would complain about the lack of opportunities to flirt. However, there were more important things, like not living in the middle of a war zone. "How does that sound?"

"I... I don't want to be a burden-" the brunette answered mechanically.

"Hikari," the man chuckled. "You _never_ want to be a burden! Trust me, you aren't. This is something I've had on my mind for a while now." He smiled faintly, already planning the preparations in his mind. "Is the friend you stayed with at school there?"

Hikari paled. "Y-yes."

Mr. Horaki frowned. "If I guess it was a guy, how ashamed am I going to be?"

Hikari's head slowly churned to the right, staring blankly into Shinji's eyes as she handed him the phone. "He wants to talk to you."

Ikari's hand was deceptively steady as he retrieved the phone, placing it to his ear. "Mr. Horaki?" he asked softly. "This is... my name is Shinji."

Hikari's father started to once again massage the creases in his forehead. "I could have sworn this was going to be Touji Suzahara," the man said. The Third Child winced at the name, the cracking of the cellphone casing in his grasp resulting in Kensuke's muffled protests. "Alright, Shinji... are you going to tell me the chances of me being a grandfather are higher or lower today?"

"Talking," Ikari answered, his brain still half asleep.

"What?"

Shinji stumbled for a moment. He couldn't remember what the man had asked him, but he knew it was the wrong answer. He was just so tired. He hadn't slept in... how long had it been? He certainly didn't feel like he slept in the entry plug. His mind felt so exhausted, he couldn't possibly comprehend half of what he said to Hikari the night before.

"What did you do to my daughter?" Horaki demanded.

"I don't want to fight anymore," Shinji breathed, before a loud thud echoed through the casing of the cellphone. In the distance, Mr. Horaki could hear panicked shrieks, and Hikari's friend, that German exchange student, yelling at this Shinji about falling asleep mid conversation. That was when another voice answered the phone.

"Mr. Horaki," Aida said. "Shinji... he's... he just talked to her, that's all."

"Pilots aren't allowed to fraternize with the civilian population," Ayanami answered simply, her voice carrying a little too far for simple background noise. "I must report to Major Katsuragi that Pilot Ikari cannot attend harmonics testing today." The blue-haired girl did not understand when Asuka started to muffle her with an open palm.

"Kensuke," Horaki breathed out, before taking another deep breath. "I want a straight forward answer. Hikari has been up to all hours of the night talking to you for nearly a month. She's been crying in her sleep, and visiting Suzahara in the hospital nearly every day. Who is this Shinji, and what is he to my daughter?"

Aida looked over to the growing student body in the classroom, all of them staring at the group of four in the center of the room. "Shinji... he and Touji were close, and then Touji was..." Horaki could tell this wasn't an answer he wanted to hear. "Shinji was hurt by what happened to him, and we haven't seen him for a month."

Mr. Horaki froze, absorbing the information slowly. There was obviously more to it than that, but Aida wouldn't lie to him. There really was no way to lie with an answer that vague. "Put Hikari on the phone." Aida started to protest, but Mr. Horaki was quite insistent.

"Dad?" she asked nervously.

"Whatever is going on, I need to know what it is," he said.

**End of Chapter II**

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Comments/questions, please leave a review.

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